Preparing for a New Year… starting 2017 fresh

Image reused with permission from Hodge Podge Moments.

Tonight, I participated in a Facebook group blog discussion hosted by Pam of Hodge Podge Moments. Although some of it was about the holidays, and some about blogging mechanics in general, it made me think about what I want for 2017. I haven’t set my resolutions yet, but one of the prompts was whether we intended to set a “word of the year” for next year. My first instinct was “improvement.”

A lot of things are set to change in 2017 already, and I want need it to be a better year than 2016 has been. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve gotten to do some pretty awesome things this year, like visit Seattle and tour the Luray Caverns with my friend. A lot of things have not gone as well, especially in the health and finance areas.

I have two goals for this month of December to help start off 2017 right:

Get BMI into healthy range. I’ve been resolving to lose weight for ages. I’m not exactly giving up on the long-term goal of a very healthy BMI, but I’m sick of the yo-yo effect. I’m sick of obsessing about it. I’m about 10 pounds into the overweight range right now, which isn’t horrible, but it does affect my body and my self-image negatively. I decided a month or so ago that I wanted to refocus on getting to and maintaining a healthy weight before I tried to set my sights any higher (or my weight goals any lower). I want 2017 to be a year of healthy weight, even if not ultimate-goal weight. Is this a SMART goal? It is specific and measurable: I have a target weight (-8.5 pounds; BMI of 24.8). Is it achievable and reasonable? It should be, despite holiday foods. That’s about a healthy 2 pounds per week. I just got a FitBit and I’m using that to help increase my activity levels. Is it time-sensitive? Absolutely–I have until the end of 2016!

Quit smoking (again). I started when I had the facial paralysis. The neurologist I saw gave me terrifying options including brain lesion and MS, and I stressed out to the max. I started smoking again and haven’t quite successfully stopped yet. Last night, as I sat there coughing out a lung from the cold over Thanksgiving, I decided to re-commit to starting 2017 smoke-free. I’d ideally like to be nicotine-free. Is this SMART? It’s specific and measurable: zero cigarettes. Achievable? I gave myself some flex to make sure I could reach one of the two goals; either nicotine-free or at least smoke-free. I have a prescription for Chantix–it’s expensive, and very dangerous with my depression, but I used it before and had been 5 years smoke free. If I do not succeed with the nicotine patches by Dec 16th, I will fill the prescription and start using it. Time-bound? Again, yes–Dec 31st. I’ll check in on these again!

Accountability:

I will hereby hold myself accountable and give an update on December 16 and another on December 31.